Mission: Assassination Terminated
by Fenikkusu Ice
Summary: New chapter! A ninja had been sent to kill the Western Lord. Will she succeed or will she fall in love with the one she was meant to kill? Did I mention that she has never failed a mission? SessKag an AU fic.
1. Chapter 1: Sent to Kill

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Inuyasha.  
  
I must be nuts. Why on earth am I starting a new fic when I have like four other fics to complete? Well to tell you the truth, I wanted to get my idea out before I forget it. I tend to misplace some things and I don't want to misplace this idea. I warn you that it's a Sess/Kag AU fic. Enjoy!  
  
'Mission: Assassination - Terminated'  
  
By Fenikkusu Ice  
  
Chapter 1: Sent to Kill  
  
*****  
  
A dark hooded silhouette crept along the dark corridor quickly and quietly.  
  
This corridor was one of the many in this secret place known only by selected individuals where all ninjas go to retrieve a message about their assignments. Usually these assignments include assassinations, infiltration and espionage. This was an underground base where the many hidden passageways all led to rooms where each ninja had a compartment and a box in which would consist of missions to fulfill. Even though there were many highly trained guards there, the ninjas still had to be careful to conceal themselves to the best of their abilities because they would never know when an outsider would come. It had happened before and none of the intruders escaped with their lives.  
  
This ninja in particular had just received a note containing information about a certain lord to assassinate. She crept to her quarters and scanned the information quickly. Apparently she had been hired by the dark lord of the mountains by the name of Naraku to kill the Western Lord.  
  
She had heard about the dark lord of the mountains before. She was slightly suspicious of this Naraku since he had a reputation for manipulating those under him. He had always preferred to let his servants and his own spies to handle his situations and had never bothered to hire a ninja from their base, so why would he change now?  
  
Dismissing the idea for now, she read the ancient Japanese writing further. Over the next few minutes she had learned that the Western Lord was a very powerful inu youkai with silver hair, a blue crescent moon on his forehead and was very tall.  
  
'Hmph. That's hardly what you call a description,' she thought. She had also learned that his castle had a magical barrier to keep intruders from coming in. Well she had an idea to take care of that, no problem. She wasn't one of the best ninjas for nothing.  
  
She was interrupted from her thoughts by someone knocking on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
A girl with a long ponytail, and pink mascara above her eyes came into the room. This ninja was dressed in a dark purple suit with shoulder and knee pads, and a sword attached to her belt. She was also carrying a six foot long boomerang made from the bones of a large youkai and very lethal.  
  
"Kagome-chan," the girl started but was interrupted by the other girl sitting on a chair.  
  
"Sango-chan, remember I told you to never call me by my name?" she said seriously.  
  
The girl, Sango, replied, "But we're not in public so isn't it all right?"  
  
"No. These walls have ears Tonbo. We mustn't risk it," Kagome said.  
  
Sango frowned. "You're right but I still prefer my name over my ninja name."  
  
Her friend shook her head. "It is better this way. We are in the era, Sengoku Jidai. It is much too dangerous these days without being a ninja, yet it is our way of life. There are youkai, and dangerous people out there."  
  
"Hey, do you want me to help you on this mission?" Sango asked with an almost pleading voice.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Tonbo, this is nothing I can't handle." She gave her friend a smile. "I'm one of the best remember?"  
  
Sango laughed than gave Kagome a sad smile. "Yeah I know. Be careful all right, Fenikkusu?"  
  
Kagome returned the smile and answered, "I always do and look after yourself."  
  
They hugged just like they always do before one of them went on to their assignment, knowing that they could be killed in any one of them.  
  
Sango left Kagome's quarters soon afterwards. Kagome tossed the letter in the fire and dressed in her ninja attire. When she came out of her room, she had on a sleek black ninja suit with a cloth covering her nose and mouth, a bag of ninja stars, a bow, a single arrow and a sword sheath attached to her belt. She had an extra dagger hidden in her right boot and she had tied her midnight black hair which was tucked underneath her hood. She also brought along some poisons and small explosives with her just in case.  
  
After checking that she had everything she needed, she crept along the shadows guiding her out of the secret underground cave, and stole off into the night.  
  
She was very confident that she would succeed. After all, she had never failed a mission before.  
  
Never.  
  
*****  
  
Translations:  
  
youkai: demon  
  
Sengoku Jidai: the Warring States era  
  
tonbo: dragonfly  
  
fenikkusu: phoenix  
  
Cool huh? Or not? This is my first AU fic and probably one of the most interesting stories I will ever write. READ and REVIEW please. I see no sense of continuing if people aren't reading this.  
  
Later,  
  
Fenikkusu Ice 


	2. Chapter 2: First Attempt

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its characters. Well duh!  
  
Wow! I am actually updating this only a few days after posting the first chapter. It must be a miracle. For those of you waiting for 'Freedom of the Fire Bird' I am so sorry about that but I am currently stuck on the next chapter. I know what would happen in the future but I'm not exactly sure how to get with this chapter at the moment. So in the meantime, I've updated this fic.  
  
Wow! 10 reviews for the first chapter? You ppl are so nice! Thanks to you wonderful reviewers. Here are the responses:  
  
Email:  
  
Lea: Glad you liked it. Thank you!  
  
Sesshoumaru The Killing Perfection (on the site, it said I had 3 reviews but when I clicked on it, it only displayed 1) (NOTE: to ppl who review on this site, please send me your reviews to my email, coz I never know when I get reviews from there. Thank you!)  
  
Derk: Thank you. Actually I think you'll be the only person ever to say they like "Freedom of the Fire Bird" better than this fic. Coz I know that more ppl read Sess/Kag fics than Sess/OC fics, but thanks. That means a lot considering MY character's in it. ^_^  
  
Fanfiction.net  
  
Kaguya: Personally, I think this will be one of the most interesting fics I will ever write. I really like the plot and how the story is going as well. Thank you!  
  
Nekiochan: I know I sent you an email about it, but just in case you didn't receive the email. . . Well I've never read that part of that site actually so I had no idea that you posted a challenge that was similar to the plot of my fic. My plot isn't even near that besides that fact that Kagome is a ninja sent to assassinate Sesshoumaru. But thanks for bringing that to my attention. Keep reading my fic!  
  
Mediaminer.org  
  
Sundragon: Hey you reviewed for this fic as well. Well since I really, really like the plot I am going to continue. If you mean Kagome and Sesshoumaru, then yes they're going to meet in this chapter so just scroll down. To answer your last question, yes Inuyasha will for sure be in this story. This wouldn't be an Inuyasha fanfic without our hanyou with his cute ears.  
  
SeSsYs RiNcHaN: Glad you liked it! Hope I'm not asking too much if I'm asking you to review again cause I want to know if ppl are still reading this. Well wait no longer cause here's chapter 2.  
  
debey: Wow such high ratings! Thank you! You're right. I myself have seen fics with assassination themes but most of them are set in modern times, whereas mine is set in the Warring States era. Don't worry, didn't I say in the summary that this WILL be a Sess/Kag fic? It WILL stay that way.  
  
TwilightAngel: Hey thank you very, very, very much for reading my fics and saying they're good. Unlike many talented authors I know, I tend to find writing a little difficult coz I usually can't write anything, and I mean anything unless I'm in the mood or just had a sudden brainstorm. And even then my words don't seem to flow. But then again they do say that you're your own worst critic. :) Cool ten out of ten in everything!  
  
Platerair Queen: Wow another full 10 out of 10 ratings! Oh when the front part says the story's updated means that the front part (meaning the part that shows with the other fics, the summary, rating, title, genre, etc) is changed in some way or that the fic is revised in some way. (I think) When a NEW chapter is added however, then the NEW message will be next to the title indicating that. Just to clear that up. I DID revise the first chapter by the way but I didn't add a second one. . . until now. :)  
  
Cresent Moon 22000: 10 out of 10 in Enjoyment factor. . . then you must really enjoy my fic. Thanks! Don't be sorry, I get like that sometimes when I'm on sugar high! ~_^  
  
Keep the reviews coming! If you've read some of my messages, you can probably tell that I care A LOT about reviews. I don't know if you noticed but I actually find it very, very difficult to write unless I'm in the mood or had a sudden brainstorm (such as the case with the first chapter of this fic. Anyway, I usually don't talk so much. On with the fic!  
  
'Mission: Assassination - Terminated'  
  
By Fenikkusu Ice  
  
Chapter 2: First Attempt  
  
*****  
  
The full moon did not reflect off its full light that night as the clouds in the sky blocked the radiance of the moon. Even though the moon was now at its highest peak in the sky, the shadows and the darkness continued to roam the Western Lands.  
  
A lone castle stood proudly on a large hill, overlooking the vast lands that was the territory that belonged to the youkai of that residence. Inside the tall stone structure, there was a courtyard. The surface of the courtyard made the area perfect for combat and training.  
  
On this particular night, a tall, muscular figure practiced fighting with his straight sword. His smooth silvery silky hair flared out and swinging with the tilt of his head, not at all getting in the way of his training. His moves with his sword were smooth, strong, and confident, as were his stride and walk. He seemed to be battling with an invisible enemy as he continued to execute a series of swings, jumps, kicks and flips to further complicate the difficulty of his fighting style. His feet were in a rhythm, almost in a dance, if not for his youkai abilities that made the rhythm almost impossible to comprehend. To the human eye, he would be nothing but a white and silver blur that was clearly the most dangerous of them all. Even other full-blooded youkai had trouble keeping up with his speed and agility. . . and he knew it.  
  
He was the youkai who had inherited these lands from his great and powerful father. The reason why he would train himself to no end was to prove that he was capable and worthy of this territory that so many youkai longed to claim.  
  
This demon of a century continued his intense session, fully aware of his surroundings.  
  
^^^^^^  
  
The shadowed silhouette rode on her horse in the night across the Western lands to the very centre of the territory where the castle of the Western Lord was located. Her horse was very well trained; its hoofs made very little noise on the ground, whereas other horses would produce loud thundering on the earth which no doubt alerted the enemy.  
  
The ninja finally reached the edge of the hill, where she jumped off the horse and headed towards the Lord's home. She did not have to worry about her horse. Her horse had been trained to hide and wait for her mistress's call. With the forest surrounding the castle, there were many places for the horse and a certain assassin to hide.  
  
Kagome stealthily slid into the shadows, carefully maneuvering her way through the dense forest without making a single sound. She ran into something as hard as a solid brick wall so suddenly that she stumbled backwards, but didn't fall. Her hand cautiously reached out and then touched an invisible barrier. 'No problem,' she thought as she smirked through her mask. A dark purple light emitted from her right hand as it was placed against the magical barrier. A hole seemed to melt that part, as it became large enough for Kagome to step inside. Once she did, she stopped her powers from disturbing the barrier to avoid detection and then the barrier became whole again as if she had never set foot into it.  
  
Like at her practiced routines many times before, she crept to the darkness, concealing herself in the shadows once again. When she reached the edge of the forest, she could just make out the three youkai guards on this side of the castle. The letter she had received had told her that the three youkai were not inu youkai so their sense of smell was not as good as the Western Lord's. She would not be detected if she chose to spare their lives. No matter, she could mask her scent anyway.  
  
Kagome waited until the guards walked out of sight, then she quietly approached the stone wall. She took out her arrow from where it was tied on her belt and used it to climb. She stuck the tip of the arrow into the holes in between the stones and used it to pull her weight while her other hand and her feet were grasping or pushing against the wall. When she reached the top, she caught a glimpse of a figure before landing gracefully on the other side. The courtyard was actually surrounded by bushes and some trees that were against the wall where she was so she was safely concealed.  
  
Through the small light the moon provided, she observed that the tall figure had all the features that described the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands. 'Good, he just made my job easier,' she thought. Due to the setting of the courtyard, it would be nearly impossible to sneak up on him without giving herself away for a surprise and soundless attack. She would not be able to kill him quickly and silently. She preferred a good fight before she killed; she enjoyed the challenge and the humiliation she would inflict on her opponent. She stepped into the exposed courtyard and waited the youkai to notice her.  
  
Sesshoumaru had sensed that he was being watched just before he felt a presence from behind him. Turning around, he stopped his training with his sword by his side. He could clearly tell by the person's attire that she was a ninja, and no doubt sent to eliminate him by his enemies. The ninja was indeed a woman; he easily tell because of the ninja's frame.  
  
"I know of your purpose already human. Tell me who you are and whom you work for," he said in his icy cold tone. He could just kill her with a swipe of his claws right now, but he wanted to know who would dare attempt to assassinate the great lord of the Western lands. Granted there had been many, despite the fact that he eliminated them all himself quite effortlessly.  
  
Kagome responded, lowering her voice and repeating his tone, "It is not of your concern. You will be dead before the first rays of sunlight peek through those mountains over there." She gestured to the mountains that were on the edge of the eastern part of the western lands by tilting her head to the side.  
  
"We'll see." With that said, he flung towards Kagome, preparing to slice her with his sword. At the last step however, the ninja moved to the right, dodging his attack with ease, and unsheathing her own sword in the process. Just as she brought her sword down to Sesshoumaru's head, he blocked it with his own, and pushed her off by using his strength. The taiyoukai took on the offensive as he delivered swipes towards her head, stomach and legs while moving forward, trying to trap her in a corner. The disguised figure proved to be skilled as she blocked, dodged or countered every one of his strikes. To his dismay, she caught onto his plan and leapt high above him so now he was the one who was closer to a corner of the courtyard, against two walls.  
  
'Apparently I have underestimated this human,' he thought as he was now brought into the defensive with her attacking him with her sword. This amused him because she had been the most formidable opponent in battle he had seen so far. He was getting way too bored nowadays and had finally found someone worthy of his attention, although he was slightly agitated that she a human no less was able to last this long against a demon of his power. 'Her speed and agility is incredible; she is no ordinary human.'  
  
His skill and strength impressed Kagome. She had never met a lord, demon or not, who have spent as much time as he to improve his fighting skills. She was itching for a challenge and she had found it in this demon. 'His skills are superior to those of others. I shall enjoy seeing the look upon his face when I defeat him,' she thought smirking.  
  
At this time, Sesshoumaru had not been using all of his youkai speed for one purpose: to test his opponent. Kagome's smirk quickly disappeared when she realized this. 'He's toying with me.'  
  
The Western Lord inwardly grinned as he felt the ninja brought her attacks faster. 'So she is infuriated,' he thought.  
  
To any onlooker, they were both too fast though one could see that they executed series upon series of flips, kicks, punches and swipes. Neither was able to draw blood from the other although one was just toying with his opponent.  
  
Kagome sensed another aura just before another silver-haired figure walked into the clearing. Not wishing for her fight between the Western Lord and herself to be interrupted and her victory to be spoiled, she used her miko powers to leapt far from Sesshoumaru to a corner. It didn't matter when she killed him now anyway; she still had until the next full moon, which was plenty of time. She bowed holding her sword between her hands and said in an emotionless tone, "I promise you that you will not live for much longer. Remember my name is Fenikkusu."  
  
And with that, she threw a smoke bomb, temporary blinding the inu youkai and using her miko powers, escaped over the stone wall, and landed where her horse was waiting, galloping into the dense, dark forest.  
  
Her smoke bomb had also one more effect: it had an irritating scent that only youkai can smell so that Sesshoumaru and the other inu youkai were greatly disturbed and distracted from her escape.  
  
After the smoke dissipated, all Sesshoumaru had on his mind was the ninja who had impressed him with her skills in speed, agility, and intellect and repeated the name he will not forget,  
  
"Fenikkusu."  
  
*****  
  
Wow! That's my longest chapter so far. Read and Review! I really need to work on my other fics now! Ja ne!  
  
Fenikkusu Ice 


	3. Chapter 3: The Decision

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters from the anime/manga.  
  
I'm now Fenikkusu Ice on mm.org, ff.net, and fp.net. Yes now I don't have to use three different pen names. It can get pretty irritating. Been awhile eh? Oh for those of you who have read my story before Dec 27 you'll know what I mean. I'm sorry for the delay. It's been hectic lately.. Since I had to register on a new account I lost most of the wonderful reviews. So I apologize if I have not mentioned you here if you reviewed. Thanks to all the reviewers and those people who have read my fic but did not leave a review. Responses are at the end of this chapter.  
  
'Mission: Assassination - Terminated'  
  
By Fenikkusu Ice  
  
Chapter 3: The Decision  
  
*******  
  
Well. . . that was unexpected.  
  
The dog ears on top of his head twitched with amusement as he replayed the scene in his head.  
  
He was pacing around the dark hallways of the huge castle, lit only be small torches that were placed a few feet from one another high along the walls. He was unable to sleep and had decided to train on his hand-to-hand combat skills.  
  
~Flashback~  
  
He placed his hands inside the sleeves of his red haori as he walked towards the courtyard. He had always liked to practice his fighting skills there since there was so much room and not nearly as stuffy as the dojo. It was also the place in the castle where he knew his half-brother liked to practice as well, which added to the benefit of intruding on the taiyoukai's 'sanctuary'.  
  
As he approached the cleared area outside, sounds of swords clashing together invaded his sensitive ears. Curious, he quickened his pace and what he saw was. . . breathtaking.  
  
The first thing or rather person he saw was the shadowed figure completely attired in black who was obviously a ninja, attacking his half-brother, Sesshoumaru. That fact alone was enough for him to give that person his respect and it was saying something since he hardly respected anyone. With his youkai senses, he could see every movement they made as they threw punches and kicks and took swipes with their swords directed at each other, with neither side spilling blood.  
  
He was impressed as each second flew by. She -he could tell because of her figure- was giving Sesshoumaru one heck of a fight! There was not a single person, human or youkai, he can recall that even lasted this long with the other inu youkai. There were even fewer who dared to challenge him, on his own lands no less! 'And she is a human too!' he thought. 'Most youkai would cower in front of him but her?' He shook his head. 'She would be dead soon.'  
  
The way the ninja fought told him that she was human and not youkai. Youkai fought differently for they usually hold a predatory stance of some sort, even while standing. Their handling of weaponry was more aggressive than humans and they mostly rely on their instincts while in combat. He noticed though that she was much more aggressive than most humans he'd encountered with were.  
  
Her fighting skills were so impressive! Even he could just barely keep up with her movements and Sesshoumaru's (as much as he hated to admit to himself).  
  
Finally he decided to reveal himself. Not to help Sesshoumaru. Oh no, he would never do that. He would love to see his arrogant half-brother's pride reduced a notch. The thought of a 'lowly human' as Sesshoumaru often put it, beating the 'great' taiyoukai was enough to send him to the ground, laughing his head off. He settled for a small chuckle instead. He just wanted to see if this ninja was good enough to fight him as well.  
  
To his dismay, she noticed him and performed a great leapt to a corner. She bowed with her sword in between her hands and said in a stoic voice, "I promise you that you will not live for much longer. Remember my name is Fenikkusu." He knew that her comment was directed towards Sesshoumaru but he caught her stealing a glance at him telling him that she knew he was there.  
  
'She didn't think that she actually has a chance of leaving here alive does she?' he thought for a second. When she did next totally took him off guard. She threw a smoke bomb. He thought amusingly, 'So I cannot use my eyes, so I'll just smell her out.' As soon as he breathed in the smoke, he began choking and coughing, his lungs desperately needing an outlet for the stinking fumes. His mind barely registered that his half-brother was also having trouble with the ninja's weapon.  
  
After a few minutes, the smoke cleared and he could clearly hear Sesshoumaru repeating the formidable ninja's name. There was no reason to go after her now. She was gone.  
  
~End of Flashback~  
  
She was right about one thing though; he won't forget her name. He had rarely seen such display of skill and strength against a taiyoukai. What both amused him and angered him was that she was a human. Humans were supposed to be weak. Okay scratch that; they WERE weak. She was just one exception to that statement.  
  
The thought of the woman besting his half-brother crept into his mind again and resulted in a chuckle from him.  
  
-------  
  
'Fenikkusu. It means 'Phoenix'. The legendary fire bird that was a master at hiding, displays great strength, represents a fiery spirit that radiates power, intellect and determination. Yes that name suits her well,' Sesshoumaru mused.  
  
'I've heard of her before. The ninja who always succeeded in her missions; the ninja who was able to best even demon lords; the ninja who was able to compare to him in weaponry, she was a formidable opponent. She will be difficult to get rid of.'  
  
A low chuckle drew him out from his deep thoughts. Sesshoumaru shot an ice cold glare at the other inu youkai leaning against a stone wall on the other side.  
  
"Inuyasha."  
  
The other silver-haired figure stopped laughing instantly, but kept a knowing smirk on his face. With his arms crossed he said in a mocking tone, "So the 'great' Sesshoumaru was finally beaten by a human. Hah! Never thought I'll see the day. . ."  
  
"You keep talking and you will never see anything again," Sesshoumaru threatened, clenching his fists but also keeping his golden eyes cold.  
  
Inuyasha inwardly shivered but stood his ground. "Is that any way to treat your little brother, Sesshoumaru or have you forgotten that promise you made to father?" His smirk grew wider at the taiyoukai's obvious fury.  
  
"You KNOW that that's the only reason you're still alive, don't you hanyou?" he replied, grinning when he saw that he finally succeeding in irritating Inuyasha.  
  
"Feh get out of here so I can train," he shot back.  
  
"Inuyasha with your fighting skills you need A LOT of training." Sesshoumaru felt satisfied at the growl that was directed at him as he went inside the castle.  
  
Now as he reached his bedroom, his only thoughts were on that woman, that ninja. She said that she would be back. What bothered him most was that she had been able to get pass his shields. She must have some sort of power. He had never heard of any ninja like her. With that power no wonder she was as strong as she was. He could understand how she had gotten pass his guards. The fools were nothing and once they find out that a human outsmarted them, they would be an embarrassment to the youkai society.  
  
"She will be back and when she comes, I'll be waiting."  
  
-------  
  
Fenikkusu Ice: I was going to end it here but seeing that you people have been so patient with me, I wrote more.  
  
-------  
  
The sun shown brilliantly over the busy market where merchants were selling everything from fruits to expensive jewellery. The crowds of people were anxious to see what was being offered. The shops had everything imaginable. The merchants were showing at the top of their lungs, drawing people to their products, seemingly desperate to sell. This was the biggest market in the Western Lands, well for the humans anyway.  
  
Humans and youkai prefer not to socialize with one another as youkai thought of themselves to be superior to humans and humans see demons as power hungry thieves. It didn't help that most of the youkai in the Western Lands had more wealth and power than most of the humans. For this reason, youkai and humans tend to separate themselves from the other as best as they could. Occasionally though, a few youkai could be seen in human markets just to boast about their 'superiority'. It didn't work the other way around as humans fear of losing their lives.  
  
Wearing a cloak with the hood down on her shoulders, Kagome headed towards a bar in the centre of all the activity. Sango was already there when she arrived, and Kagome waved at her as she sat on a stool.  
  
Sango poured Kagome's usual drink from behind the counter and handed it to her. Sango worked as a bartender there when she didn't have assignments as a ninja. Most of the missions took place at night anyway and they never know when to expect payment. Kagome sold good luck charms and jewellery across the street at a merchant's shop.  
  
"So completed another mission already?" Sango asked. Actually it was more of a statement so she was surprised to hear the next words from her friend.  
  
"Not yet Sango. Last night was rather. . . unexpected on my part." Kagome didn't know that the taiyoukai even bothered to train as much as he did.  
  
Sango nodded then asked, "Do you want to tell me what happened?"  
  
Kagome replied, "Yes but not here."  
  
Before Sango could answer, the owner of the bar walked to them and said, "Hey Sango get back to work. You know how busy is it at this time of day."  
  
Both of the girls turned their attention towards the young man clad in a tight t-shirt and baggy pants.  
  
Kagome groaned. 'Oh no, not him.'  
  
Sango nodded at him then glanced at Kagome with a look that said, "We'll talk later," and went back to serving drinks.  
  
"Kagome."  
  
"Hojo."  
  
The owner smiled. "Ah so you remember me. So did you think about it? Would you like to go to that restaurant with me tomorrow?"  
  
Kagome gritted her teeth but forced herself to smile and said sweetly, "I'm busy. Maybe another time." With that said, she paid for her drink and slipped out of the bar before she could do anything that might get Sango fired. She had wanted so badly to punch his lights out, wiping that smile off his face. He's been hitting on her for months ever since Sango got the job there and she found him to be so annoying.  
  
As she walked down the street back to the merchant's shop, she waved at her boss, a nice old lady, signaling that her break was up. She took her place inside the shop, thinking about last night's events.  
  
'Hmm that was the best challenge on my skills for a long time. I have a month. Maybe I could toy with him a little. Fight him but not kill him yet,' she thought. 'I could use more practice on my skills.' She was satisfied with that decision. She enjoyed a good challenge, especially one that required her to reach beyond her limits.  
  
She smiled as she turned her attention to a potential customer.  
  
*******  
  
Responses:  
  
Email:  
  
CiCi: Glad you loved my fic!  
  
Mediaminer.org  
  
sabriel7, SeSsYs RiNcHaN, Cresent Moon 20000, sakura yamakawa, japanese_angel12, Cresent Moon22000, Mia Mia, fluffy'slova4life: Thanks for supporting my fic!  
  
Sundragon: It was a draw last time. But Kagome and Sesshoumaru will fight again you can be sure of that. Who'll win? You'll see.  
  
Razor Blade Magarita: Well here's the next chapter.  
  
Fanfiction.net  
  
Yle-chan, yoarashishiyami@msn.com, lone-black-tiger, alleen, leafz, Crazy Kitsune, littlelamb38, Pyro89, sakura blossom737: Thanks for supporting my fic!  
  
hen-neko-henshin: Their backgrounds will be revealed bit by bit later on, including how Kagome came to be a ninja. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Thanks for being patient with me! Read and Review! Until next chapter!  
  
Fenikkusu Ice 


	4. Chapter 4: Closer to the Enemy

Disclaimer: If I owned Inuyasha, why would I be writing fanfiction?  
  
After a long time, I've finally updated. I apologize ppl but stuff, etc, etc have been on my plate for a while. I know you're all eager to read so I'll just be quick and the responses will be at the end of the page k?  
  
'Mission: Assassination - Terminated'  
  
By Fenikkusu Ice  
  
Chapter 4: Closer to the Enemy  
  
*******  
  
"Oh no! You're not going to. . ." Sango trailed off her sentence when it became undoubtedly clear as to what Kagome's intentions were.  
  
The younger girl simply nodded as she finished with the last of her packing. She had changed her clothes so now she wore a loose brown long sleeve shirt, a long brown skirt and plain brown shoes, basically rags. Her hair was a mess and she purposely threw mud on herself.  
  
She made sure all of the things she needed was in the pack but she also had to pack light to make what she was able to do believable.  
  
Kagome turned to her fellow ninja. "It's the best way Sango. If I can get as close to him as possible then it'll be easy to kill him."  
  
"Yes but isn't there any other way?" Sango hated when Kagome insisted on putting more danger upon herself. Though both of them shared a thirst for action and adventure, Sango was the more cautious one. She felt that it was her duty to protect Kagome since she had thought of Kagome as the little sister she never had. Her own little brother, Kohaku, was killed when her entire village was burned down. Sango was the only survivor of that village. To this day, she did not know who had done such a horrible deed but she had vowed that once she had figured out who did it, she would personally kill whoever was responsible.  
  
"There is but then again. . ." Kagome left off with a smile on her face, "I want to have some fun. He's the first challenge I've had in a long time. I would like to toy with him first before I kill him." She swung her small pack to her back.  
  
Sango nodded sadly. "Do what you must," she paused, "Fenikkusu." Kagome smiled in approval of her use of her ninja name. "Be careful, ok?"  
  
They shared a hug. "You know I will, Tonbo. Take care of yourself." With that Kagome hitched herself on Hissori, her horse, and before she rode off into the night.  
  
^^^^^^^  
  
This plan should work, well at least in her head anyway. She had prepared for it as soon as she collected her last payment from the merchant at the shop where she worked. Granted she would not be back there for a while yet.  
  
As soon as she went home, she had gotten ready. Everything from her story to her clothing. Everything must be planned.  
  
So now she stood in front of a wooden door, leading to an obviously less important part of the castle since there were hardly any guards here. So far they haven't spotted her yet.  
  
She had left Hissori in the forest that surrounded the castle. Hissori would come if Kagome called for her and the horse was well enough on her own. The horse had no saddle or reins so anybody who comes across the black Friesian would think that it was wild.  
  
Kagome knocked on the wooden door, hoping that somebody other than a soldier would answer it. Soldiers tend to be less friendly towards outsiders. She hoped that her plan would work. Even though she had done this quite a few times, the unsettling feeling in her stomach never failed to transpire.  
  
A seemingly young female youkai opened the door. She had grass green hair and pale skin. The youkai was slightly taller than Kagome. The most intriguing feature of her was her cerulean eyes. Though the youkai appeared to be a young adult, her eyes spoke volumes as to what her true age was. They glowed with wisdom, somebody who had lived to see the best and the worst from both humans and youkai alike. She wore a pink kimono with dark green stripes.  
  
"May I help you miss?" Kagome almost signed in relief. This youkai didn't appear to be so bad; she seemed polite and kind enough.  
  
"Err yes," Kagome said in a timid and quiet voice, "I've. . . run away and I've got nowhere else to go." Kagome's blue-gray eyes were filled with unshed tears and she bit her lip. "Would you let me stay?" She did her best to look as pitiful as possible.  
  
The youkai frowned. "I don't know if a young girl like you should stay here. . ."  
  
"Please," Kagome begged on her knees, leaning on the youkai. "Please, I beg of you. Let me stay! I'll do anything." Kagome watched as the youkai's expression softened.  
  
"I suppose you could stay if you are willing to work as a servant. That's the only way I could allow you to stay." The youkai didn't want to let the girl in because the lord was known for his hatred towards humans even though he didn't pay much attention to them. But another look at the human girl's face changed her mind. From her clothing, the girl was probably poor or at least was away from home for months. The human was also skinny, but she didn't look like she was off food for weeks. Still. . .  
  
"Oh thank you. Thank you so much!" Kagome gave her a grateful smile.  
  
The youkai returned it with a gentle smile. "Come child. Stand up." She helped Kagome through the door. The room they came into was a kitchen. A pot of porridge was already placed above a fire; its smell lifted towards Kagome's nose. The ninja had purposely skipped lunch and dinner so her act would be more convincing.  
  
There were cupboards, tables and chairs, stoves, and ovens. There was also another door that led to the meat compartment and other perishable foods.  
  
The female youkai gestured for Kagome to sit in one of those chairs before she took a seat on the chair beside her.  
  
"First of all, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Kikime and it's nice to meet you, miss. . ."  
  
"Oh I. . ." Kagome gave a downcast expression. "I don't remember my name. I think I hit my head on something because of a pain in my head and. . . I don't remember anything except that I had run away from somewhere."  
  
Kikime's eyes saddened. "Oh I'm so sorry to hear that." Seeing the girl was about to cry, Kikime changed the subject. "Hmm that won't do. You must have a name." Kikime then paced back and forth, thinking of a suitable name for her while Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and watched Kikime's prancing.  
  
Kikime smiled when she thought of a good name for the girl. For some reason, the human reminded her of a dove. The human maintained a peaceful, innocent and pure aura that so few humans and practically no youkai possessed. Yes, that name would be perfect for her.  
  
She stopped right in front of Kagome. "I've got it! How does Tanrei sound?"  
  
Kagome was well aware of its meaning and was a bit surprised that Kikime would name her that. She nodded in approval.  
  
Kikime beamed. "That's great! Tanrei it is!" It was at that moment that a growling was heard. Kagome patted her stomach in true embarrassment and blushed slightly.  
  
The youkai laughed. "I suppose I should get you something to eat. I was about to get this porridge to the other servants but I'm sure they could spare a bowl or two," she grinned at Kagome, "or three maybe."  
  
Kikime poured the porridge into a bowl and watched amusingly as Kagome shoved it all down. Kagome was really hungry. Kikime didn't even have time to tell her that the porridge had cooled down a bit but was still hot. She almost laughed when she could have sworn that steam was shooting through 'Tanrei''s ears. Kikime shook her head. The girl must either be too hungry to care or she had an iron stomach.  
  
After Kagome's delicious meal, from which Kagome came to the conclusion that Kikime must be the head cook in the castle, Kikime told Kagome of her duties as a new servant and showed Kagome the servants' sleeping quarters. Then she led Kagome to her room. It was a small brown room that had one bed against the back wall and hardly any space beyond the door.  
  
"Since you're not officially a servant yet, you can stay here in my room." When Kagome settled on the cold hard floor, Kikime pulled her up and said, "You can take my bed for tonight."  
  
When it looked like Kagome was about to protest, Kikime gave her a mock glare that adults usually give when lecturing a child, "Don't you dare argue with me child. Now get over to that bed."  
  
Kagome smiled her thanks and snuggled in the covers. "But what about you?"  
  
Kikime waved it off. "I'll be fine. Besides you need it more than me and I have other duties to tend to. Oh and I'll take you to the lord for his approval of you tomorrow so you need your rest." Kikime walked out of the room and placed her hand on the doorknob.  
  
"Goodnight Kikime-san."  
  
"Goodnight Tanrei." Kikime closed the door, leaving Kagome to her own thoughts.  
  
Kagome hated having to lie to Kikime, especially since the youkai had already seemed to take a liking to her. But there was her mission to worry about and she shouldn't get too close.  
  
She smirked when she remembered that Kikime was going to take her to the lord tomorrow.  
  
"So it begins. . ."  
  
*******  
  
Translations (they're not my own. I got these from a site though I've thought up these names.):  
  
hissori (Kagome's horse): quiet, still, silent, deserted  
  
kikime (the head cook): effect, virtue, efficacy, impression  
  
tanrei (what Kikime named Kagome): grace, beauty, elegance  
  
Responses:  
  
ff.net  
  
UnlovedBandNerd, deception-3: Updated this story! Yeah I know I took too long. Sorry about that.  
  
deadly thorn: I've updated 'In My Brother's Place' too.  
  
mm.org  
  
Sundragon, Fluffy'slova4life, Cresent Moon22000, ice_princess_1185: Here's the update!  
  
A Single Spark  
  
Cherasa: Glad your friends enjoy this as well! I'm sorry about the late update.  
  
Mistress DragonFlame: Wait no more.  
  
Well was that good? Next chapter 'Tanrei' aka Kagome meets Lord Sesshoumaru! Read and Review!  
  
Fenikkusu Ice 


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